Bag closure



July 30, 1963 R, o. BAXTER 3,099,384

BAG CLOSURE Filed Jan. 25, 1962 INVENTOR.

ROBERT 0. BAXTER ATTOR NE Y United States Patent 3,099,384 BAG CLOSURE Robert 0. Baxter, Camden, Ark., assignor to International Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 168,047 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-62) The present invention relates to the manufacture of bags or bag-like containers. More particularly, it relates to novel closures for single and multi-wall bags and similar receptacles made from paper, paperboard, and comparable materials.

It is well known to provide bags of the open mouth or valve varieties with closures by means of a sewing or stitching operation. Such bags do not ordinarily have liat bottoms on their ends equipped with such closures, but it is known, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. =No. 1,624,626, to give bags a fiat bottom, as well as a rectangular or square cross-section, and to provide a closure on such a bottom with stitching.

Bags having flat bottoms and rectangular cross-sections are particularly practical where it is desirable to give the products contained in such bags the hexahedronal configuration which lends itself to a close storage of a number of such bagged products and Where itis desirable that the bags, before, during, Iand after they are filled, have some capacity for holding themselves and, perhaps, what they contain erect. Typical products in this regard are asphalt and rosin which are usually loaded into containers therefor in a heated, highly viscous state and which then cool and harden to take the shape of such containers. But such bags require a certain degree of rigidity to mold the products they contain into the desired shape and to stand erect and it has now been found that, surprisingly, the use of relatively iiexible materials, such as paper and paperboard, can be continued in the manufacture of such bags if the bag closures of the present invention are incorporated in the bags and, preferably, inthe bag bottoms.

The bag closures of the present invention comprise a stitched seam securing portions of the bag tube together and a metallic wire Iinterlaced with the seam. `In the preferred embodiment, they also include a seam reinforcing means, such as a tape, and a binding together or coupling of the ends of the wire directly or with the assistance of further fastening means.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference should be had to the attached drawings in which FIGURE l shows a side view of a liattened bag tube;

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of a iattened bag made in accordance with the present invention from the bag tube of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 shows a plan View of the bag of FIGURE 2 when erected;

FIGURE 4 shows an isometric View of the erected bag of 'FIGURE 3 when partially closed; and,

FIGURE 5 shows a plan view of the erected bag of FIGURE 3 when fully closed.

FIGURE l depicts a bag tube made from, for instance, kraft paperboard having a release coating on its interior and having a vertical seam 11 which is glued, pasted, or the like; vertical score lines 12, 12a, 13, 13a, 14, and 15; horizontal score lines 16 and 17; and, diagonal score lines "1S and 1'9.

FIGURE 2 depicts bag tube 10 with a seam stitched along and across its upper end in which thread and metallic wire 21 .are interlaced. Thread 20 passes back and forth through the two walls of tube 10 and above and below wire 2\1 as it lies along and exterior to one of such walls and between and generally parallel to the end of tube 10 and score or foldline 17 thereon. lFIGURE 2 also shows tape 22 which serves both to reinforce the seam made by thread 20 and wire 21 as the result of its disposition between wire 21 and the tube wall and to envelop the end of tube 10.

FIGURE 3 depicts stitched bag tube 10` erected and open on its lower end, but with its upper end not fully closed. The erection, which is accomplished manually or mechanically, entails bringing the panels lying between scores 12 and y14 and scores 13 and 1'5, respectively, into a parallel relation and bringing tape 22 and the panel between the end of tube -10 and score 17 into a generally parallel relation to the panel lying between scores 12a and 13a.

FIGURE 4 shows the next stage of the closure of the upper end of stitched bag tube 10 wherein the triangular flaps partially defined by scores i12a and 18 and scores 13a and 19 respectively, are raised out of the horizontal plane and brought toward each other with the ultimate objective of being disposed substantially parallel to the rectangular panel lying between foldlines 12a and 13a.

FIGURE 5 shows the completion of the closure of the upper end of stitched bag tube 10 wherein the triangular liaps partially defined by score lines 12a and 18 and score lines I13a and 19, respectively, are made to lie against the rectangular panel partially defined by score lines 12al and 13a and wherein the end of thread 20', wire 21, and tape 22-which, at the outset, are made to extend beyond score lines 14 and 15 of iiattened tube 10initially overlap and nally are manually or otherwise twisted about each other at least once or interconnected by other means. Once such twisting is completed, the fully closed upper end of stitched bag tube is prepared to serve as a bag bottom which is not only iiat, but also unexpectedly rigid and, therefore, especially suited to hold the bag erect.

There are additional advantages in employing the bag closure means of the present invention, particularly in the bag reflected in the attached drawings. They are safe, because the Wire ends are always partially sheathed and made visible by the coextensive tape ends. They are simple to employ, because the bulk of the tape ends diminishes the number of twists of the wire ends one must make to obtain a bag end fastening. And they provide more than just a bag end closure or fastening, since they are wholly adapted to serve as a handle for the bag once its other end is closed.

What is claimed is:

l. In a paperboard bag adapted by means of a release coating on its interior toy contain highly viscous products and having a iiat bottom defined therein by means of scores, a bottom closure comprising thread stitching means across one end of a iiattened bag tube and a metallic wire interlaced with the stitching means.

2. In a paperboard bag adapted by means of a release coating on its interior to contain highly viscous products and having a iiat bottom deiined therein by means of scores, a bottom closure comprising thread stitching means across one end of a flattened bag tube, a metallic Wire interlaced with the stitching means, and paper tape reinforcing means disposed between the tube and the wire.

3. In a paperboard bag adapted by means of a release coating on its interior to contain highly viscous products and having a liat bottom defined thereinby means of scores, a bottom closure comprising thread stitching means across one end of a flattened bag tube, a metallic wire interlaced with the stitching means, and paper tape reinforcing means disposed between the tube and the wire wherein the stitching means, the wire, and the reinforcing means extend beyond the sides of the tube.

4. In a paperboard bag adapted by means of a release coating on its interior to contain highly .viscous products and having a lfiat bottom defined therein by means of scores, a bottom closure comprising thread stitching means, a metallic Wire interlaced with the stitching means, and paper tape .reinforcing means disposed between the tube and the Wire wherein the stitching means, the Wire, and the reinforcing means extend beyond the sides of the tube and are coupled at their ends inthe erected bag.

References Cited in the ie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mortensen Nov. 6, 1906 Bates Jan. 13, 1925 `Robinson Apr. 12, 1927 Bates et al. Apr. 1, 1930 Baker June 13, 1933 

3. IN A PAPERBOARD BAG ADAPTED BY MEANS OF A RELEASE COATING ON ITS INTERIOR TO CONTAIN HIGHLY VISCOUS PRODUCTS AND HAVING A FLAT BOTTOM DEFINED THEREIN BY MEANS OF SCORES, A BOTTOM CLOSURE COMPRISING THREAD STITCHING MEANS ACROSS ONE END OF A FLATTENED BAG TUBE, A METALLIC WIRE INTERLACED WITH THE STITCHING MEANS, AND PAPER TAPE REINFORCING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE WIRE WHEREIN THE STITCHING MEANS, THE WIRE AND THE REINFORCING, MEANS EXTEND BEYOND THE SIDES OF THE TUBE. 